Reduce the Number of “Mental Health”

The Primary Reasons for Employees Feeling the Need for “Mental Health” Days

If you’re a seasoned executive, you know we rarely thought about “mental health” days in past years, but we didn’t have the pressures of contemporary employees. Sure, we had pressure, but most of it was related to our job description and dedication to be a success. The 21^st century provides other issues that increase the stress on many people.

If you’re not sure what a “mental health” day means, here is a paraphrased general definition: When an employee has “no physical problem, but knows they can’t focus on their job, and needs an unplanned absence to generate energy and motivation”, they often take one or more “mental health” days off.

Obviously, we managers don’t really want to deal with this, but, our staff isn’t thrilled about this situation, either. One of the objectives of a good manager is to try to minimize these unscheduled non-productive days. According to some recent research, here are some of the predominant reasons for taking “mental health” days.

• Family and relationship issues. 30%. The most important reason for unscheduled days off can be the most challenging cause of “mental health” days. Since these issues are not directly work related, the manager’s challenge is to help without overstepping commonly accepted boundaries.
• Financial and legal issues. 15%. Everyone knows how these conditions, particularly when they are negative, can influence our state of mind and, often, our behavior.
• Lack of energy or physical well being. 12%. Depending on the root causes of physical or energy problems, managers may or may not be able to have an influence for the better.
• Boredom and lack of motivation. 5%. A common issue, a great deal depends on whether these feelings result from one’s job duties and responsibilities or outside causes. If a lack of motivation is generated by one’s job, managers should do all in their power to enhance and increase job diversity to re-energize motivation.
• Job stress. 18%. Sometimes, the opposite of boredom is an over abundance of workplace stress. Whether you’re the CEO or the newest mail room clerk, stress accompanies job duties. While minimizing stress may not be possible, controlling stress is always important.

How to Reduce Employee Days Lost

The term, “mental health” day, is recognized in both North America and Europe. While many employers are less than thrilled when employees take these unscheduled days off, often their personnel policy rules force people to circumvent the “system” to take some time when they need it.

Here is an example that illustrates the potential problem. Assume your personnel leave policy includes the following.

• Vacation time. An unfortunate legacy from our Pilgrim and Puritan beginnings is the 16^th century “work ethic” that made no reasonable provision for vacation time off. While Europeans routinely receive three to eight weeks off every year, Americans are fortunate to receive two to four weeks’ vacation.
• Sick days.   Paid sick time that is often strictly enforced, requiring physician notes or other evidence of legitimate illnesses.
• Bereavement days. The loss of an immediate family member (mother, father, sister, brother, son, or daughter) may allow up to three days off during this difficult time.

An employee needing additional time off for family, financial, legal, lack of energy, or motivation issues, has few options. They are forced to “create” or be less than truthful about a reason for the psychological necessity to have a day of R&R (rest and recuperation). Since most employees are hard working, faithful, and honest, this necessity to be less than truthful sometimes increases the need for a mental health day. Instead of being comfortable and re-energizing themselves, they are further stressed because they had no reasonable outlet to achieve their goal.

How to Reduce Employee Days Lost

One good solution is not complicated. A modification to your personal leave policy can help eliminate the need for employees to fabricate reasons to take some leave. Here are some suggestions to help control and reduce this time off

• Create a PTO (personal time off) policy to complement your current personnel leave policy. Add some PTO (sometimes called “personal days”) days to your policy. PTO days can be taken at will whenever an employee needs them.
• Try to be more sensitive to “outside of work” issues that your employees may be facing. There is, of course, a very thin line between empathy and intrusion in the personal issues of your staff. This does not involve giving advice (unless asked), but being aware of family, financial, or legal issues that may be affecting the performance and well being of staff members. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment so you’ll hopefully be understanding and encouraging.
• Don’t question your employee’s decision to take a PTO day. If your staff member wants to tell you, be supportive if the reason is a personal problem. Your employee will appreciate your concern and understanding without feeling additional stress.

Most employers have found that including some personal days in their personal leave policy does not encourage more days lost, but actually results in more productivity and less unscheduled time off. By giving your employees the ability to take a day or two when they feel they need it, your staff feels less stress, even if their personal issues are serious.

The ability to take some time to address and, hopefully, solve personal financial, family, or legal problems without the need to claim sickness or take valuable vacation days can often result in fewer days off and increased productivity. Denying the need for “mental health” days is an exercise in futility. Employees – and managers, too – sometimes need a day without facing business issues to re-generate enthusiasm, re-energize one’s mind and body, and take care of other things in one’s life.

Giving employees the opportunity to take time without adding guilt to the equation often results in fewer lost days. Just knowing their employer understands the need for this time reduces both stress and, sometimes, the need for the time. If your personnel policy doesn’t provide for PTO, do your best to convince senior management that, what might appear to give license to more lost days, often results in less time lost and greater productivity.

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